Improvement in fire-grates



3 Sheets-Sheet I. W. H. FA R B l S.

Fire-Grates.

No. 141,780. Patented August 12, 187 3.

WINES-5E5? Invmma.

' mn's- 3Sheet s--Sheet 2 W. H. FAR-BIS.

Fire-Grates. N0. 141,780. Patented August12,1873.

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W. H. FARBIS.

Fire-Grates.

3 Sheets Sheet 3.

Patented August 12, 1873.

WITNE'E 5 IE5:

AM. PM TU-LI I'HDGRAPH/L' 00 M x (assure/15's mamas) INVENTHH.

ATTUENEYE- UNI E Srarns WILLIAM H. FAItRIS,

Ra'rnrvr OFFICE.

OF CAIRO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT lN FlRE-GRATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,780, dated August1-2, 1873; application filed May 31, 1873.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. FARRIS, ofCairo, in the county of Alexander and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Grates; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings making a partof this specification, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the upperside of my improved bars. Fig. 2 is a like View of the lower side of thesame. Figs.'3 and 4 are, respectively, elevations of thefront and rearends of said bars. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section upon a linepassing through the center of one of the bars; and Figs. 6 and 7 arecrosssections upon lines 00 a2 and z 2, respectively, of Fig. 5.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

The object of my invention is to utilize the waste heat of a furnace andto increase the durability of grate-bars by circulating water from theboiler through suitable openings in said bars; and it consists,principally, in the peculiar construction of the grate-bars,substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified. It consists,further, in combining with the bearing-faces soft metal and rubbergaskets, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown anddescribed. It consists, further, in the means employed for confiningsaid grate-barsin relative lateralpositions, substantially as and forthe purpose hereinafter specified. It consists, finally, in the grate asa whole, when its several parts are constructed as shown, and combinedwith each other and with the boiler in the manner and for the purposesubstantially as is hereinafter set forth.

In the annexed drawings, A represents a grate-bar, having the form incross-section shown in Fig. 6, the rear end of which, A, extends upwardin a curve, as seen in Fig. 5, and terminatesin a cylindricalenlargement, B, the axis of which is placed horizontally and in a linehaving a right angle to the line of said bar. A similar enlargement orboss, 0, is formed at the lower side of said bar, at the point where theupward curve of the rear portion commences. At its front end and lowerside the grate-bar is made plane and horizontal, and

forms a bearing-face, a, upon which said end rests, while at its rearend a lug, a, which extends horizontally rearward, furnishes a means forsupporting the rear portion of said bar. Within each grate-bar, thusconstructed in one piece, is provided an opening, D, which transverselyis round,and longitudinallycorrespouds to the general shape of the bar,its upper rear end communicating with a horizontal central opening inthe enlargementB, while its forward end terminates near thecorresponding end of said bar. The lower enlargement is also providedwith a central opening, that at its upper side communicates with a tube,E, which tube from thence extends forward within the opening D, andterminates near the front end of the latter. By this arrangement it willbe seen that water entering the op enin g in the lower enlargement 0will pass forward through the tube E into the opening D, and backwardthrough the latter to-the upper enlargement B, throughwhich it will bedischarged, during which passage said water will have been brought intocontact with said bar along the entire portion exposed to the action ofthe fire. Upon one side of each bar the cylindrical enlargements B and Oare made flush, while upon the opposite side said enlargements projectoutward to a distance equal to the space between said bar and theadjacent bar, and within each of said projecting portions is provided acylindrical recess, F and f, having a larger and a smaller size, whichcorresponds to and receives the projecting face G and g of the boss ofthe contiguous bar, the whole forming a packing-joint between said bars.Between the verticalor bearing faces of the recess F and the projectionG is placed a gasket of rubber, H, and a ring or gasket of round copperwire, h, after which the grate-bars are firmly pressed together by meansof a bolt, I, that passes through the center of the openings in thebosses B and O. The wire gasket has such a size as to cause it toclosely embrace the outer edge of the rubber gasket when the bearingfaces are forced together, by which means said rubber is protected fromthe injurious effects of the heated escaping products of combustion, andat the same time is protected from such compression as to destroy itselasticity.

While it is true that either the rubber or the copper gasket separatelywill form a water or steam joint, it is found that combined they enablesuch joint to be more quickly and easily made, and when completed saidjoint is more durable than would otherwise be the case. Within theopenings 7) and c of each outer grate-bar is secured a pipe, K, which isclosed at its outer end, except where the clampingbolt I passes through.The nuts 2' of said bolts are made convex upon their inner faces, andfit into corresponding recesses in the ends of said pipes, so that, whenscrewed to place, a tight joint is produced. A suitable branch, 70, uponone side of each pipe K, enables the necessary connections to be madebetween the same and the boiler. The grate is now complete, and operatesas follows The lower pipes K are connected with the lower portion of theboiler, while the upper pipes K are connected to said boiler at or nearthe water-line. The water now enters at the rear end of thehorizontalportion of each gratebar, passes to the front end of the samethrough the inner pipe, and from thence rearward and then upward, and isdischarged into the boiler, having, duringsuch passage through thegratebars, acquired a high temperature from heat that would not onlyhave been otherwise wasted, but which, from its intensity, would havematerially injured said bars, said circulation of the water being causedby the action of the heat, which raises its temperature and causes it topass upward with considerable rapidity and force.

For convenience in removing sediment from the interior of thegrate-bars, an opening, L, is provided in the front end of each, andwhen not in use is closed by means of a metal plug, 1.

The apparatus thus constructed is simple, efficient, and durable, and inthe end is much less expensive than the grate-bars ordinarily used.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, whatI claim as new 1s- 1. The grate-bars A', constructed as shown, providedwith plane horizontal upper surfaces and having at the rear end of eacha bearinglug, a, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with the bearing-faces F and G, the rubber gasket Hand softmetal gasket h, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

3. The means employed for securing. together the grate-bars, consistingof the rods I passing through openings 1) and c and through the pipes Kand K, and provided upon their threaded ends with conical nuts 73, whichfit into corresponding seats in said pipes, substantially as specified.

4. The grate-bars A and A, constructed as shown, provided with thebearing-faces F and G combined to form a whole by means of the rods Iand nuts 2', and connected to or with a boiler by the pipes K and K,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this30th day of April, 1873.

WILLIAM H. FARRIS.

Witnesses:

W. H. MORRIS,

J. B. HUMPHREYS.

